The new Innocn 27-inch UHD 4K monitor is small enough to fit on a home desk but adds lots more INNOCN
You’ve decided to take the plunge and buy one of Apple’s new M1 Mac minis. An excellent choice of computer but what are you going to do for a monitor? There must be thousands of people in this quandary right now because the Mac mini represents the best value for money if you’re buying a new Apple Mac. Unlike the iMac, the mini means you get to choose the size and type of screen you want.
For some people, choosing a 4K 32-inch monitor will be the correct partner for a Mac mini or as a second screen for a laptop. However, other users might want to opt for something smaller that still has calibrated colors and will work well with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I think a 27-inch monitor is a sweet spot, especially if you’re working from a home office.
Recently, I got the chance to test drive a new INNOCN 27C1U calibrated monitor that might have been made with the Mac mini in mind. The INNOCN is an affordable 27-inch UHD 4K monitor with a 16:9 ratio and a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160. It’s an IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel with LED backlights, a pixel pitch of 0.1554mm, plus a refresh rate of 60Hz.
The monitor is calibrated at the factory with several color spaces, including sRGB and Adobe. There’s even an individual calibration chart for the screen in the box so you know it has already been set up and checked. In my experience, a lot of monitors have displays that look awful out of the box, but with this one, I was pleasantly surprised.
The color gamut of the INNOCN 27C1U is wide enough for graphics use and it also looks pretty good INNOCN
Another feature included that you don’t always see is Picture by Picture or PBP and Picture in Picture or PIP. This means you can display two video inputs either side by side or as an inset picture. It could be handy and can be used for a wide variety of situations. For example, you can have your computer screen running as the main image but also have PIP of a security camera feed or video doorbell. The applications for the feature are almost unlimited.
The INNOCN 27C1U offers high dynamic range (HDR) technology with a professional color gamut and a contrast ratio of 1,000:1 and 400 nits. It produces nice deep blacks plus vibrant color performance that meets the Display HDR 400 and FreeSync standards. In addition to those features, the monitor feels well put together although incredibly light before it’s attached to its sturdy stand.
The monitor attaches to the stand using a quick-release mechanism and has VESA 75 x 75mm holes for mounting on another stand. The stand has adjustable height, tilt and swivel and it can even be rotated through 90 degrees to create a portrait display. There’s a gravity sensor built into the monitor so it can automatically switch from landscape to portrait mode automatically.
The reason this monitor feels so light is due to the power supply being contained in an external transformer. The power brick uses a cloverleaf cable but only a US lead was included in the box, but I had a UK type to hand so no panic. On the bottom of the monitor, there’s a recess for all the connections. These include a socket for the power supply, two USB A ports, a USB B 3.1 input, a USB C port with 65W of Power Delivery, a DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports, plus a 3.5mm stereo audio input. That’s a comprehensive selection of connections and the presence of the USB-C input means a laptop can be connected to the monitor and that does away with the need for the power supply.
The INNOCN 27C1U is large enough for use with Adobe Photoshop or and of the other creative apps. The INNOCN
At the front of the monitor, tucked under the thin bezel, are four input buttons for navigating through the INNOCN’s onscreen menus. The monitor came configured for the Chinese language, so I had a little fun trying to find the correct menu setting for changing over to English. This was a firmware fault as normally the language setting appears on a splash screen when it is fired up for the first time. Thanks to the comprehensive instruction booklet it didn’t take me too long to find the menu I needed to switch to English.
As well as the external power supply, the INNOCN is supplied with a USB-C cable and a USB 3.1 cable for connecting the monitor to the USB ports on the host computer. There’s a DisplayPort cable for hitching up to a desktop but no HDMI cable. Overall, you get a fair bit for your money here.
The INNOCN 27C1U uses an IPS display panel. It’s the type you would choose if you want high color accuracy and fast response times. Some IPS panels have a reputation for having a slightly narrower angle of view, but I didn’t find that a problem with this screen as it offers a 178-degree viewing angle both vertically and horizontally.
The onscreen color gamut of this monitor was pretty good straight out of the box and the display was as crisp as you’d expect from a UHD 4K monitor. There are quite a few advanced settings included in the onscreen menus and you can choose to switch between Adobe or sRGB color spaces. Alternatively, you can create your own profile. The default brightness level of 90 was a little too bright for my tastes so I considered running a screen calibrator like the excellent Color SpyderX Pro. In the end, I decided just to knock the brightness setting back to 80 using those onscreen controls.
There's a swivel feature on the INNOCN 27C1U which means the screen can be used in portrait or
Next, I checked the screen over for dead pixels but couldn’t find any, ditto for stuck pixels. The LED backlight was bright and evenly illuminated the screen. There were no annoying stripes that you can sometimes see on cheaper panels. Overall, I’d say this is one of the better UHD 4K monitors I’ve seen at this price level. I can’t say that the build quality of the casing feels quite up to LG or Dell standards, but it’s more than adequate, especially as a starter screen or a second screen for a laptop. I did notice in the instruction manual that there was a mention of Dell pixel standards so I suspect this panel may be similar to the type Dell uses.
Although the INNOCN may not be as well-known as some other makes on the market, the company is a high-end monitor brand from Century Joint Innovation Group which specializes in the research and development and production of high-end monitors and commercial displays. If you want to go for something that offers the next level in quality, I think you’d have to consider spending at least twice as much to get a calibrated screen with this kind of color reproduction.
The surface of the 27C1U’s screen is the professional matte type. Some people may be more used to using an iMac with a shiny wipe clean surface, but most graphic artists and photographers prefer a matte screen because they don’t catch reflections so easily. There’s little else that stands out as being very different on this monitor than you might see on any other 27-inch model, but where the INNOCN scores is with its choice of inputs. There aren’t too many monitors at this level that offer HDMI, USB C and DisplayPort as well as a couple of USB A ports and some 5W speakers, should you need them.
Having tested the INNOCN 27C1U, I'd say it would make a great second screen for a MacBook or as the
The built-in speakers perform surprisingly well. I wouldn’t use them as my first choice because I normally have a pair of Harman Kardon Soundsticks or headphones connected to my computer, but to give the speakers a proper workout I plugged in a 4K Amazon Firestick to one of the monitor’s HDMI ports and was pleasantly surprised by how good the sound was. Okay… it’s not home theater quality but it’s acceptable, especially if all you need is sound for navigation beeps. To get the sound working on the monitor you’ll need to connect with the computer using a 3.5mm analog patch or USB-C/Thunderbolt cable. For some reason, I couldn’t get the Firestick to control the volume using the remote, but I’ll hunt down the reason for that and see if it is fixable in the Firestick’s setup menu.
Overall, the quality of the display and the design on this screen are pretty good for the money and it makes a superb starter screen for either a Mac mini or a USB-C laptop that needs a secondary display. The stand is a good design and offers plenty of movement while the display quality is more than acceptable. One thing I would point out is the narrow bezel. A slimline bezel looks nice and streamlines but the display doesn’t go to the edge of the bezel. There’s a think line running between the display and bezel which is useful if you have a light and a webcam perched on top of your screen. As to the size of this screen, I think 27-inch is sometimes overlooked in favor of 32-inch models. However, a 27-inch UHD 4K is ideal for a home office setup and can fit on smaller desks perfectly.
Verdict: There’s not much else to say about this affordable and good-quality UHD 4K monitor from INNOCN. The brand isn’t a major name but the 27C1U has all the features and specifications that you’ll need from a UHD 4K monitor. All the essential connections are there, plus the panel produces a superbly bright and sharp image. The color was spot-on, straight out of the box. This monitor ticks most of the boxes. You could look at a model from the likes of Dell, HP or LG, but I’d say this one is well worth a closer look because you get a lot for your money and ticks most of the boxes needed for the ideal home working monitor.
Pricing & Availability: The INNOCN 271CU costs $449.99 although the launch discount price is $399.99 for a limited time at Amazon.
More info: www.innocn.com
Tech Specs:
- Model number: 27C1U
- Size: 27-inch
- Screen ratio: 16:9
- Backlight: LED
- Viewing angle: 178°(H) and 178°(V)
- Pixel pitch: 0.1554(H) x 0.155(V)
- Contrast ratio: 1,000:1
- Color: 1.07B
- Native resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 UHD 4K
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Power input: External supply 19v/7.89A
- Dimensions: 613.3 x 57.2 x 367.3mm (without stand)
- Dimensions: 613.3 x 194.3 x 543.4mm (with stand)
- Weight: 8.48kg (with stand) 5.57kg (without stand)
- Tilt angle: Forward 5° / Backward 20°
- Height range: 120mm ±5mm
- Swivel: 45°
- Rotation: 90°
